DO-NOTHING, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING WALNUT CREEK POLICE

In its Options menu is a heading titled, "Protecting Yourself," at the Walnut Creek Police Department website, under which is a sub-heading contained within a sub-menu titled, "Personal Security," under which is a bulleted list of so-called "strategies," one of which says:

• "If anyone bullies, threatens, or annoys you for any reason, call the police at 9-1-1. We will respond immediately and take care of them."

Bullying private apartment security guards are apparently exempt from this "strategy" and get granted carte blanche immunity and license to both annoy and bully apartment residents at will:

Friday night, the 27th of April 2012, between 10:30-11:00pm, I was approaching the rear cement stairway entrance to my apartment building to access the triple-building apartment complex built atop a two-tier parking garage.  Lighting is extremely dim so it's exceptionally dark.  At the base of the stairway I paused to observe a hulking male figure, brandishing a bright flashlight and lumbering along the asphalt footpath at the base of the two-level parking garage structure.  I advanced toward the stairway.  Abruptly the lone figure called out loudly to me in a loud, demanding voice, issuing this command--TWICE:

"Hold up there!"

Making out the hulking figure to be an obese black male wearing a dark blue police-like uniform, I pause and await his approach at the base of the stairway.

Throughout his entire plodding approach he shines the bright, heavy-duty flashlight he's brandishing directly in face for an extended period.  I await his approach--being unflawfully stopped and detained.

"What are you doing here?" he barks at me in a confrontational, belligerent manner, stepping up in close proximity to me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, aghast.

"Just what I said!" he barks again, parroting his interrogation.  "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," I answer.  "Who are you?"

I'm the property manager!" he spouts in an even louder, frothy voice like some rabid watchdog.  "I RUN this property!"

Up to this point this approaching black costumed ape had neither identified himself or his purpose.  As far as I knew, as a three-year apartment resident, the property managers occupy their main office Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm, and throughout that time they've never yet notified tenants about any security company or security guards patrolling the property--much less confrontationally accosting and stalking tenants.  So far as I knew, he was mis-representing both himself and his status.

"Well," I tell him dismissively, "this is the rear entrance to my apartment building, I live here, and I'm going upstairs."

"Whereabouts do you live?" he persists.

"You come out of the dark flashing a light in my face: I'm not showing you where I live."

I start up the stairs.  And it's a tall, lengthy flight of stairs--36 steps in total.

"Then I'm going to see where you going to," he persists. 

Now the rabid watchdog turns stalker.

Up the long flight to stone steps the hulking black stalker follows on me heels, wheezing all the way.

Atop the stairs I pause, turn and await his arrival at the landing above.

He stops and stares, silent.  I promptly break the silence.

"You can stand here all night," I tell him quite pointedly, "but you're not seeing where I live."

The black stalker grunts.  The stare-off continues.

I observe the black stalker's right shirt shoulder patch, which reads: STUPID SECURITY(the name changed to preserve privacy).

"Well, Mister Stupid Security," I ask him.  "Do you have name?"

"Joel," he mutters, I think.

"Sheesh," I scoff, shaking my head, and abruptly take off again, footing it to the front central courtyard of the apartment complex.  The black stalker follows, waddling after me, but finally gives it up and stops short of the street where I retreat--making my way around to the main office building, where I admit myself with my amenity key, back-tracking to my own apartment building residence via a circuitous route.

First thing Monday, the 30th of April 2012, I submitted a written complaint to the apartment building's main office.  At the same time I contacted the do-nothing, good-for-nothing Walnut Creek Police to report the incident via its online website contact.

Chasity Ledford, Police Services Supervisor, replied in her email:

"At this point it is not a police manner(sic)since it sounds like there is no issue with a potential imposter, but it is more the manner in which this security guard deals with the tenants."

During the so-called "off-hours," Ledford claims, the apartment property's security company technically becomes the "property manager."

I inform Ledford, in turn, that he may well indeed most mistakenly think that he manages the property at night, but in no way does he manage ME--or my comings and goings at any time of the night or day.

A private, observe-and-report security agent, unlawfully stopping and detaining any citizen without lawful cause, impersonating a police officer(by wearing a police-like uniform), and brandishing a potentially dangerous weapon(his heavy-duty flashlight)and commanding in a menacing manner: that's FALSE IMPRISONMENT.

Should this masquerader again accost me in the dead of night at my place of residence, where I lawfully live, conducting himself again like a bullying hoodlum from the hood, I inform Ledord, I shall simply ignore him and go on my way.   Should he physically attempt to impede my movements in any way I shall be perfectly within my rights to defend my person against any physical attack to my best capabilities.
Next I receive emails from Mark J Perlite, Police Lieutenant Administrator, not to tell me that the Creek cops will talk to this overbearing bully about impersonating a cop by stopping and detaining a private citizen, naturally, but rather to advise me against "taking matters into(my)own hands."  Further, he excuses the clod's actions by claiming they were "not illegal."
Now get THIS: Perlite goes on to even compliment and vindicate the clod's actions--all the while superficially suggesting that I summon police assistance the next time:

"Objectively speaking," Perlite proselytizes, "he is trying to do what he is paid to do - patrol the grounds and make sure non-residents do not create problems or commit crimes on the property.  One might even be appreciative that he is doing his job diligently."
What problem or crime is a RESIDENT creating or committing merely walking to their residence?
Perlite apparently condones the clod's accosting, confronting and intimidating residents, or for that matter non-residents, who could very well be guests of residents--condoning security stalking of residents at their places of residence without any recourse.
Such remarks really inspire confidence in the cops, don't they?  Were there a re-occurrence of this incident, and the cops called, the do-nothing, good-for-nothing Walnut Creek police could just be expected to show up to congratulate the clod for accosting and stalking a resident so "diligently."
All I know is: this is ALL WRONG!
As is having to constantly worry every time I return home whether this power-tripping clod will emerge from the dark to accost and stalk me all across the property--as if it were yet another civil entitlement--and paying an exorbitant monthly rent for the privilege.
Since the do-nothing, good-for-nothing Walnut Creek Police refuse to nip this clod's unethical and unlawful mal-conduct in the bud, this is in closing a public appeal to any activist personal injury or tort attorney to contact me if interested in launching a civil lawsuit against the offending apartment management for all the undue and totally unjustifiable emotional and mental stress I'm unjustly forced to endure each and every time I return at night to my lawful place of residence, which because of the outright indifference of the apartment management and the local police department, no longer feels like a safe, secure and pleasant home: which by God and by all rights is MY just-due civil entitlement.
Had Perlite been accosted in the dead of night by this confronational clod, brandishing a potentially dangerous weapon in an overbearing and obnoxious manner, I daresay he would've arrested the clod at best, or shot him at worst.  Hear him tell it, though, a confrontational private security acting like a belligerent hoodlum, accosting and stalking an apartment property resident, is all perfectly "legal."

As acting belligerent and confrontational to people in public is wholly "legal"--at least according to Perlite--I'll surely know how to comport myself with this clod the next time!
http://www.walnut-creek.org/citygov/depts/police/default.asp